Topic: Saved Once and For All
Pastor points out the beautiful song by Hillsong titled "Scandal of Grace", written by Joe Housten.
Jesus never lowered His standards but yet He was perceived as scandalous back then.
Luke 7:31-32
Verse 32: This context was talking about John the Baptist. John the Baptist was sent to pave the way of the Lord. John's ministry was aggressive and full of law, referred by the mourning part here.
Verse 34: Jesus' critics called Him friends of sinners. Nowadays this phrase is seldom used but in fact it's a wonderful phrase. Pastor reveals that once an Israeli becomes a tax collector, they become outcasts immediately. They were never allowed to enter the synagogue. To their families, they are better considered dead.
Verse 37-47: There were many times Pastor shared on this story but there is a beautiful truth in here. It clearly shows to those who think they are forgiven little, loves little.
Let's look in greater detail starting from verse 36 for the story of "Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman".
How you look at Jesus determines how much you receive from Him.
We are transformed according to the glory of God. When people see Him, they are transformed.
Whenever Jesus is invited, He always goes. However it depends how you invite Him. If you invite Him as a teacher, then He is a teacher. But if you invite Him as a saviour, that's where He is at home.
Whenever you have a heart for Jesus, you will see Him. Whenever you have the desire to see Jesus, stress becomes lesser.
Matthew 9:9-12
Verse 10: Notice Matthew invites tax collectors and prostitutes to a feast. So what do you think of a minister who invites people like these. Jesus feels most welcome when He is with them - sinners.
Once you see Jesus as a saviour, grace teaches you. Grace is a best teacher there is.
Back to Luke 7:33-50,
Verse 38: "wiped" and "kissed" are both imperfect tense. They are continuous. At this time, Jesus was looking at the Pharisee while the Pharisee was looking at the woman.
Verse 38: The Pharisee saw Jesus as a prophet. So does he have a heart of holiness? God is righteous making us righteous. Every forgiveness is paid for. On the cross, all the claims against sinful men have been paid on the cross. People think that grace is when we sweep everything under the carpet. The fact is God already saw your sins before you committed them and they were all put upon Jesus. Jesus never sin, it all came from us.
Verse 40: Notice the word "Teacher". Jesus' style is, since you see Me as a teacher, I shall teach you through a parable.
Verse 41: One denarii is one day's wage (in Matthew 20:2)
Verse 42: The word "freely forgave" is "charisomai" in greek.
Verse 44: Jesus turned as He was not looking at the woman all this while. Jesus then asked if he saw this woman. "Discern" here is "to discern mentally".
Verse 45-46: Jesus compares the work of the woman with the Pharisee.
Verse 49: The Pharisees then began to mutter to themselves saying who is Jesus to forgive.
Verse 50: Jesus assured the woman and told her to go in peace as her faith has saved her.
In closing,
Pastor jokes about teaching English now:
In greek, perfect tense is something done once and for all and never has to be repeated.
Imperfect tense is something done again and again.
In verse 47,
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
The word "forgiven" is perfect tense. You must understand that God created time. That is why He was never "I was". God doesn't live in the future either. That is why He doesn't say "One day I will heal you". When God says all, you think of all as the day you were saved until you die. But to God, his all includes your tomorrow's sins even before you commit a sin.
Due to this fact, people come hard on us and criticise saying that we are giving people the license to sin. This is not true because of this story. Jesus points out the works of the woman for the Pharisees to see. But to the woman, He addresses her faith. The works of Jesus is natural. It produces not for others to see but it's the fruits of His grace.
The word "loved" is past tense. It's a demonstration of her being forgiven much.
Many people see their forgiveness as a present tense. So whenever they commit a sin and depending on their denomination, they may either confess their sins as it happens or periodically. Whenever they hit another sin, they do the same. They do not see the perfect work of Jesus on the cross.
In verse 50,
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
The word "saved" is perfect tense. You are in fact saved once and for all. What a way to find eternal security from the beauty of greek. Not only you are saved, you are saved eternally.
The word "In" is "into", to enter into peace.
For the woman, each time she does the act, she loses a little of her soul. The act of her giving Jesus the alabaster box is an appreciation of Jesus restoring her lost soul.
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